OCD Awareness Week runs October 13 to 19. If you live with obsessive-compulsive disorder, an OCD support group is a small gathering, in person or online, where people who share the same struggle talk it through and, in many groups, practice the skills that actually loosen its grip. That is the plain version. In my work as a clinical social worker, the moment I watch for is the one where someone realizes the person across the room has the exact intrusive thought they were sure made them a monster. The relief on their face is a whole treatment in itself.
When it is, and why the week matters
OCD Awareness Week is an annual observance launched by the International OCD Foundation in 2009. It lands in the middle of October, October 13 to 19 this year. The point of it is blunt: OCD is one of the most misunderstood conditions out there. Most folks still think it means liking a tidy desk. The reality is intrusive thoughts that feel unbearable, and compulsions done to make the fear go away, over and over, eating hours out of a day.
It is not rare, either. About 2.3 percent of adults in the United States will meet criteria for OCD at some point in their lives (National Institute of Mental Health, 2024). That is millions of people, and a good number spend years thinking they are the only one. A week that names the condition plainly is a week that helps someone finally put a word to what they have been hiding.
What does the research say about OCD and groups?
Two things worth knowing here. First, there is a treatment with strong evidence behind it. Second, groups can deliver it.
The treatment is exposure and response prevention, usually shortened to ERP. It is a specific kind of cognitive behavioral therapy where you gradually face what you fear and, this is the hard part, resist the compulsion that normally follows. A large review of cognitive behavioral treatments for OCD found ERP produces big, durable reductions in symptoms, which is why it sits at the front of the evidence base (Ost et al., 2015). Medication helps many people too, and plenty combine the two.
On groups: a meta-analysis of randomized trials found group psychotherapy for OCD worked well against waitlist controls, with a large effect on obsessive-compulsive symptoms (Schwartze et al., 2016). Here is the part I find most useful in practice. Group ERP tends to have lower dropout than individual ERP. The work is hard, and doing it beside other people who are also white-knuckling through an exposure makes it more survivable. You are not the only one sweating. That matters more than it sounds.
Groups for OCD in our directory
The Group Guide is a free directory. You can browse OCD groups and contact the leader directly, no account needed. If you want the deeper explainer on how these groups run, we have a full guide to OCD support groups. Because OCD and anxiety travel together for a lot of people, anxiety support groups are worth a look too, and if you want the skills-in-a-classroom format, CBT therapy groups teach the cognitive tools ERP builds on.
Not every group labeled OCD does the same thing. Some are peer support, meaning shared experience and encouragement, often free. Some are clinician-led ERP groups, meaning a licensed therapist runs structured exposure work. Both are useful. They are just useful for different needs, and it helps to know which one you are walking into.
How do you choose an OCD group?
- Check whether it is peer-led or clinician-led. If you are after ERP, you want a licensed clinician who names ERP directly. Peer groups are great for the not-alone piece, less so for structured exposure.
- Ask if it is ERP-based. This is the one question I would not skip. Plenty of well-meaning talk groups accidentally reinforce reassurance-seeking, which is a compulsion in disguise.
- Look at format and schedule. Weekly, time-limited, open-ended, online, in person. Pick the one you can actually get to.
- Give it a few sessions. ERP feels worse before it feels better, by design. That is not the group failing. That is the work.
If you want a checklist for sizing up any group, here is how to vet a support group before you join.
Other resources
- The International OCD Foundation runs OCD Awareness Week and keeps a treatment provider and support group database.
- NAMI offers education and free peer support groups for a range of conditions.
- If OCD ever tips into thoughts of not wanting to be here, call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. It is free and runs 24 hours a day.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an OCD support group and ERP therapy?
A support group is usually peer-led and centered on shared experience, encouragement, and not feeling alone. ERP therapy is structured treatment led by a licensed clinician, where you deliberately face fears and resist compulsions. Some groups blend the two, running clinician-led ERP in a group format. If your goal is to reduce symptoms, you want ERP somewhere in the mix. If your goal is connection and understanding, a peer group does that well.
Can a group actually treat OCD, or do I need individual therapy?
Group ERP has real evidence behind it, and for many people it works as well as individual therapy while costing less and adding the support of peers doing the same hard work. That said, some presentations of OCD are complex enough to warrant individual treatment, at least to start. A good clinician can help you decide. Plenty of people do both: individual therapy for the tailored work, a group for the momentum.
Will I have to share my intrusive thoughts out loud?
Not before you are ready. Most groups let you listen first and share when you choose. And here is the thing about OCD groups specifically: the intrusive thoughts that feel most shameful, the violent or taboo ones, are extremely common in the room. People are rarely as shocked as your OCD promises they will be.
Are OCD support groups free?
Peer-led groups often are, including many run through the International OCD Foundation network and NAMI. Browsing our directory is always free. Clinician-led ERP groups usually charge a fee, and some take insurance. The listing will tell you, and you can ask the leader before you commit.
Is OCD really that common?
Yes. About 2.3 percent of U.S. adults meet criteria for OCD in their lifetime, which is millions of people. It often starts in childhood or the teen years and can take a long time to get diagnosed, partly because the shame around the thoughts keeps people quiet. That is exactly what an awareness week and an honest group are for.
A note on what we do (and don’t)
The Group Guide is a directory. Group leaders write their own listings, and we do not vet, supervise, or endorse the groups listed here. We are not a clinic and we do not provide clinical services or guarantee outcomes, that is the group’s work, not ours. If you are in crisis, call or text 988.
References
- National Institute of Mental Health. (2024). Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
- Ost, L.-G., Havnen, A., Hansen, B., & Kvale, G. (2015). Cognitive behavioral treatments of obsessive-compulsive disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies published 1993 to 2014. Clinical Psychology Review, 40, 156 to 169.
- Schwartze, D., Barkowski, S., Burlingame, G. M., Strauss, B., & Rosendahl, J. (2016). Efficacy of group psychotherapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders, 10, 49 to 61.